People with depression can sometimes experience memory problems – here’s why
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People with depression can sometimes experience memory problems – here’s why
Cynthia Fu, University of East London
While we often associate depression with low mood, tiredness and feelings of hopelessness, less well known is that some people with depression may experience problems with their memory – such as feeling more forgetful than usual. Though memory problems aren’t discussed as widely as other symptoms, we know that cognitive impairments are common in depression. In fact, up to three in five people with depression may experience them. It’s thought that these memory problems are related to the changes in our brain’s structure and function that happen because of depression.
Memory problems can occur when depression first begins, and can persist, even when other depressive symptoms have improved. Typically, it’s our working memory that’s affected. This is the short-term memory we use to actively remember things from moment to moment – and problems with it can make it difficult ...
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